According to ISATE, “An opiate is a narcotic analgesic that directly depresses the central nervous system.” There are three types of opiates: natural, synthetic, and semi-synthetic. While some of these drugs are used for medicinal purposes, others are illegal and highly dangerous. However, all opiates can become addictive when abused. Listed below are the most commonly used and abused opiate drugs.

Natural Opiates

These substances occur naturally within the poppy plant. While they are often thought to be less harmful than synthetics, they can still become addictive and cause dangerous respiratory depression.

• Opium
  • Street names: O, Ope, Gee, Skee, Ze, Aunti Emma, Ah-pen-yen (DEA)
  • Schedule: Schedule II drug that is no longer used medicinally to treat pain
  • Methods of use: It is most commonly smoked and often combined with other drugs of abuse like marijuana and methamphetamine.
• Morphine
  • Street names: M, Miss Emma, White Stuff, Monkey (NIDA)
    • Brand names: Duramorph, Roxanol
  • Schedule: II and III and used to treat severe pain
  • Methods of use: Morphine is injected or taken as a tablet, suppository, or capsule.
• Codeine
  • Street names: Captain Cody, Cody, Schoolboy, Lean
  • Schedule: II, III, and IV depending on how it is packaged
  • Methods of use: Codeine is swallowed or injected and often abused as a cough syrup and mixed with soda and alcohol.

Synthetic Opiates

Methadone is a commonly used synthetic opiate.

Synthetic opiates are drugs that are completely manmade in “chemical laboratories with a similar chemical structure” to the natural substances (ISATE). These drugs are widely used and cause the same basic effects that natural opiates cause.

• Methadone
  • Street names: Amidone, Fizzies
    • Brand names: Dolophine, Methadose
  • Schedule: II
  • Methods of use: Most often, the drug is swallowed or injected. Methadone is also used to treat opioid addiction over a long period of time as part of a program caused methadone maintenance.
• Fentanyl
  • Street names: Apache, Dance Fever, Friend, China Girl, China White, Murder 8, TNT, Tango and Cash
    • Brand names: Actiq, Duragesic, Sublimaze
  • Schedule: II
  • Methods of use: Fentanyl is available as a sublingual tablet or patch. It is sometimes smoked or snorted when abused.

Semi-synthetic Opiates

Many of the most commonly used prescription narcotics are semi-synthetic. These are derived from natural opiates to make other substances. Heroin, the most abused opiate drug, is a semi-synthetic opiate derived from morphine.

• Heroin
  • Street names: Horse, Junk, Skag, H, Smack, White Horse, Dope
  • Schedule: I, meaning there are no medicinal uses for the drug
  • Methods of use: Heroin is most often injected though it can be smoked or snorted.
• Meperidine
  • Street names: Demmies, Pain Killer
    • Brand names: Demerol
  • Schedule: II
  • Methods of use: Meperidine is swallowed, snorted, or injected when abused.
• Oxycodone
  • Street names: O.C., Oxy, Oxycotton, Hillbilly Heroin, Perc
    • Brand names: Percodan, Percocet, OxyContin
  • Schedule: II
  • Methods of use: Oxycodone is swallowed, smoked, and injected in most cases, though there are liquid and suppository versions.
• Oxymorphone
  • Street names: Blue Heaven, Blues, Mrs. O, Octagons
    • Brand name: Opana
  • Schedule: II
  • Methods of use: Oxymorphone is taken orally.
• Hydrocodone
  • Street names: Vikes, Watson-387
    • Brand names: Vicodin, Lortab, Lorcet
  • Schedule: II
  • Methods of use: Hydrocodone is injected, swallowed, and snorted when abused.
• Hydromorphone
  • Street names: D, Dillis, Juice, Footballs
    • Brand name: Dilaudid
  • Schedule: II
  • Methods of use: Hydromorphone is injected or taken as a suppository.